PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

stevebfl · #5 09-15-2001, 11:38 AM

I have been rather occupied lately with world happenings and my German partner trapped in Canada.

I would add a couple comments based upon a quick reading of the last four pages. Maybe the most important would be to try and put some perspective to this discussion. One post way back worried about explaining these problems to his wife.

I have never had a car that experienced a broken timing chain. I have been involved with fixing hundreds. I will never have a car that experiences a broken timing chain. I have never seen a timing chain break that didn't fit into one of two distinct conditions. The first condition is the fragile POS chain rails in the V8 heads (all 116/117 versions except the early models with aluminum rails). The second is chain systems running loose. Almost all diesels with broken chains were rattling for months due to tentioner failure or wear or vacuum pumps that were doing similar.

These problems all happen to vehicles long after I will ever own one (Its unlikely I will ever own a car with over a 100k on it - my 84 928 which I have owned since 1987 has 91k on it), so I won't ever have that experience. I say this for perspective. Simple maintenance can keep these very maintenance free systems from significant risk.